


Opening Night

by cowboykylux



Series: Mind & Soul 'Verse [4]
Category: Marriage Story (2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Compliant, Cheating, Extramarital Affairs, F/M, Light Angst, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:20:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25551184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cowboykylux/pseuds/cowboykylux
Summary: You want to reach up and kiss him, soothe those nerves – but you can’t. For tonight you have to be friendly, but not too friendly. Affectionate, but platonic. All anyone knows is that Nicole couldn’t make the premiere, so you’re standing in. You’re just a stand-in.The way he smiles at you as the cameras flash makes you feel like you’re so much more – but no one can know that.
Relationships: Charlie Barber/Reader, Charlie Barber/You
Series: Mind & Soul 'Verse [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1564099
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	Opening Night

Opening night.

Usually, you’re at home, playing board games with Henry or teaching him card tricks on opening night. Usually, Charlie has Nicole at his hip as they smile and wave to the photographers and paparazzi and fans. It’s the only time he has her at his hip anymore, but today, she isn’t even there.

Today, you’re the one accompanying him, for the first time.

For the first time, he’s got his big hand settled gently on your waist, he’s leading you down the carpet to have your photo taken. It’s surreal, how is he so calm?

You know he’s not, not really. You feel the slight tremor in his hand on your side, you see how he chews the inside of his lip. He’s anxious, always has been, when it comes to red carpets, when it comes to opening night. It’s the first chance to show this thing he’s poured his heart and soul into, the first chance to open himself up and share it with all of New York, with the world.

You want to reach up and kiss him, soothe those nerves – but you can’t. For tonight you have to be friendly, but not too friendly. Affectionate, but platonic. All anyone knows is that Nicole couldn’t make the premiere, so you’re standing in. You’re just a stand-in.

The way he smiles at you as the cameras flash makes you feel like you’re so much more – but no one can know that.

“Charlie! Charlie over here!” The photographers snap away, call his name to try and get him to look down the barrel of their lens.

He does, he smiles, waves. He’s wearing his sunglasses, won’t take them off. If he takes them off they’ll see how red his eyes are from crying the night before, they’ll see how swollen they looked this morning, like you saw when you went to his new house to spend the day with him.

He keeps them on, keeps his hand on the small of your back.

“Who’s your date tonight?” One of them asks, and you panic for a moment.

“(Y/N).” Is all he says, the only information he gives them.

They don’t need to know that you spend nearly all of your nights in his bed, all your mornings in his arm, on his lap. They don’t need to know that the reason you’re wearing a high-necked gown in August is to hide the myriad of bruises and bite marks he’s placed there.

They don’t need to know that you’ve got a special hotel room right across from the theater, some upscale place you’ve been stealing a night or two in for the past year while Charlie was in rehearsals. They don’t need to know that you’re going there with him right after to spend hours having sex, hours fucking each other, as soon as the premiere is over.

They can’t know, so all he says is your name.

And for the first time, you smile and you wave.


End file.
